Differential-recoil gun.



B. MLLER.

DIFFERENTIAL REGOIL GUN.

APPvLIQATION FILED DEO. 8. 1911.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.`

INVENTDR Ic c zy f E. MLLER.

DIFFERENTIAL REGOIL GUN.

APPLICATION FILED DEU. 8, 1911.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

EMIL MLLER, or DUSSELDORF, GERMANY,

AssIGNon ro -RHEINIscHE METALL# WAAREN- UND MASCHINE'NFABRIK- rnussnLnonrfnnnnNnonr, GERMANY, A

CORPORATION F GERMANY.

DIFFERENTIAL- nacen GUN.

vSpeciileation of Letters Patent. animation sied December s, 1an. serial No. 664,594. l

I vrestanten sepaafiaia.

`To all whom may concern.'

' Be it known that I, EMIL MLLER, engineer, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at 27 J ordanst-rasse, Dusseldorf, Ger many, haveinvented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Differential-Recoil Guns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inpeculiar to of, by so constructing the parts of the brake,

vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which` it appertains to make and use the same. l

The determination of the amount of bra-king action required during the recoil of differential recoil guns depends upon the speed which is due to the recoil energy produced by firing, less the energy produced by the return speed at the moment of tiring. The smaller, therefore the forward velocity is at the moment of Bring, the more powerful must be the braking effect during recoil. A larger braking pressure however requires that the cradle must be more strongly constructed, by which the advantage of the diferential recoil gun as compared to the ordinary type, which consists in the lighter construction of the'former for equal dynamic energy, is very largely lost. Also the higher pressure unfavora ly affects the'stability of the lgun during the recoil. Y

T e present invention relates to a diiierential recoil gun, in which the advantages this system are fully made use that there is no braking action during the running out of the barrel to the firing position, and a brake action in running out only occurs, if the barrel goes beyond the tiring" position in consequence of a misfire.

Several construct-ions according to the in-l vention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a lconstruction in longitudinal section in the firing position; Fig. 2

shows the same const-ruction at the end of the recoil. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-8 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows a somewhat different construction in the position, which the barrel attains, when in consequence of a inisfire, it has passed'the firing position.

yFigs't and 7 show other modifications in the firing position.

In the construction according to Figs. 1-4, around the inner brake' cylinder a., which is connected in the usual manner with the barrel, there is a second cylinder b of such dimensions, that the cross section of thetubular space between them is as large as the acting surface ofthe piston c. The wallof the inner cylinder'a is provided 'at the rear end with openings ve for the flow of liquids, which must be at least as great as the acting surface of the piston. The piston is provided in the usual manner with liquidypassages in the form of 'openings d which a -movable disk h closes during the reeoilin known manner. Also channels f are formed in the inner wall of the cylinder a, ywhichl yform openings for the passage of the brakefiuid during the recoil.-

If thepston c is supposed to be solid, that is without the openings d, andthe cylinder to be also without the vchannels f, then during the movement from the position represented in Fig. 2, in' which fthejpiston c moves relatively to the cylinder a inthe direction shown by the arrow, the fluid would be displaced by the piston, so as to pass'l through the openings e in the cylinder, then to be further moved in the opposite direction between the two cylinders aand band finally arrive at the other side of the piston through the openings g provided at the forward end of the cylinder a. But since in fact the channels f are providedy forthe brake action during therecoil, and also the piston c is provided with/the apertures d, which during the run out (Fig.` 1) are opened by the disk l1. being moved forward, the openings e` and g, aswell as the cross section of the cylindrical space fr, can be made somewhat smaller than vwould be necessary channelsf shall be kept open and conse-v l.

quently that the right amount of braking should occur, a circularv disk i is arranged on the piston rod, which during the run out is pressed back by a spring z" so as to uncover the openings g, but during the recoil is dis placed by the brake pressure, so as to cover these openings. y

The gun barrel is held in position at the end of the recoil in the manner known in connection with diiferential recoil guns, by

il a locking device l (Fig. 2i), whereby therre- 4turn spring is held in com ression. If the locking device is released, t e return spring drives the barrel forward, and when it has traversed the distance s, the trigger m of the breech block meets the fixed stop 'ri of the cradle and the gun is fired. The barrel then recoils in consequence of the backward im ulse, and at the end of the recoil it is again eld by the locking devicel, in order to be again charged and aimed.

If a misfire occurs when the firing position is reached, the barrel, since the shot has not been fired, continuesA its forward movenient, which must then be braked. This is effected by a plug o at the rear end of the cylinder a, entering an open-end chamber o which is shown in the form of a boring in the piston rod. Since this chamber o is filled with brake Huid and the plug o is provided with grooves, or gradually tapers with a suitably formed curve, the fluid in the chamber o is pressed outward, asthe plug o enters, and is forced past the annular cross section between the plug and the boring, which section decreases as the forward movement continues. In this way the braking of the gun barrel is effected, if it passes the firing position in 'consequencerof a misfire. This position of the parts is shown in g. 5, which agrees essentially and in respect o the above described parts with the const'rction according to Figs. 1-4, but has in addition. an equalizing device, which comes into action, when the gun misses lire or if the brake fluid is heated.

This device consists in a piston p, which is placed in an additional chamber in the cylinder a and is ordinarily held in the dotted position by means of a spring g. If a misfire occurs or the braking fluid expands by heat, the fluid passes through the openings t behind the piston p, which makes room for the brake fluid by compressing the spring g.

If the brake cylinder is filled when the parts are in the position which they assume when a misiire occurs, ythat is, as shown in Fig. 5, and the ,barrel is then brought into the position for aiming as shown in Fig. 2, a vacuum is produced in the brake cylinder, due to the piston rod emerging from the brake cylinder. This vacuum would also be formed to a less extent, when the barrel during the run out is in the firing position, and would be destroyed, when the piston rod, in consequence of a mislire, again enters completely into the brake cylinder.

In the normal function of the gun, in which the recoil takes place from the firing position, there would be no braking action during the first part of the recoil stroke, but only when the piston has displaced the brake fluidfso that the inner cylinder space is again completely filled. To avoid this drawbrake c linder is'lilled, when the parts are in the firing position'shown in Fig. l. In order that the cylinder should be lilled in this position, the above mentioned equalizer p is arranged, which allows the brake fluid to enter the special compartment in case the gun misses fire. When the barrel again returns from the misfire position, the piston p again assumes the dotted position, under the pressure of the spring g.

The construction shown in Fig. differs from those previously described, in that only one cylinder is provided. The piston 0 is provided as before with the apertures d, which, in common with the channels f, allow the passage of the brake fluid during the run out. In this case the vacuum produced by the protrusion of the piston rod from thc cylinder acts, in conjunction with the correspondingly proportioned dimensions of the apertures d, which with the recesses f, allow for the passage of the fluid, so that cept when, in the case of a misire, the firing position is passed, as shown in Fig. 6, and the plug o enters the chamber o in the piston rod. The fluid equalizer p then comes into action. The action of the vacuum alone during the run out-without taking into account the apertures for the flow of the fluid-*would have the same elfect, as if the fluid was displaced before the piston until the vacuum was destroyed, during which no braking action would take place. On taking the apertures into account, a passage of the fluid would occur during this part of the movement, so that during the rest of the run out movement, a smaller part need be brought to the other side of the piston. Consequently by suitably proportioning the apertures the braking can be avoided. 4Also the amount of the vacuum can be determined by suitably proportioning the dimensions of the piston rod. During the recoil the disk z. lies over the openings d and the fluid can only pass through the recess channels f to the other side of the piston and these are so poportioned that the required braking takes p ace.

The construction shown in Fig. 7 agrees with that in Fig. 6, in that only one cylinder is provided. The piston is here diEerently constructed and has apertures az, which are closed during the recoil by a valve y connected to a disk a'.v During the run out the valve opens on account of the direction of flow of the fluid and allows the passage of the fluid to the other side of the piston without any braking action, which coperates also in this case with the influence of the vacuum due to the protrusion of the piston rod. Also in this case the recess channels f, serve for the restricted passage of the fluid during the recoil. The p lug 0 which effects back, according to the present invention, the

the braking action in case of a mislire is in there is no braking during the run out, eX-l this example attached 'to the 'pistomfwhile the chamber 0 isformed ina cylinder` in-1I w coil-ofthe barrel.

f5. A differential recoil gun having, mi

serted in the brake cylinder. i I claim .as my invention :e

1. A differential recoil4 n having, in combination with a recoiling barrel, braking means comprisin a fluid-containing cylinder having doublge Walls forming an intermediate space, and also having o enings from said space into the cylinder at t e ends thereof, a piston Within said cylinder, said piston and cylinder having a relativemovement, said openings allowing fluid to ,pass a, from one side to the other of the piston without creating any braking action during the run out of the barrel, and means for cutting off i the free co-mmunication through said openings during the recoil of the barrel.

2. A differential recoil gun having, in combination with a recoiling barrel, braking means comprising a fluidcontaining cylinder having double walls forming an intermediate space, and also having openings from said space into the cylinder at the ends thereof, a piston within said cylinder, said piston and cylinder having a relative movement, said openings allowing fluid to pass from one side to the other of the piston without creating any braking action during the run-out of the barrel, and a spring pressed disk for cutting off the free communication through said openings during the recoil of the barrel.

3. A differential recoil gun having, in combination with a recoiling barrel, braking -means comprising a fluid-containing cylinder having double Walls forming an intermediate space, and also having openings from said space into the cylinder at the ends thereof, a piston within said cylinder, said piston and cylinder having a relative movement, said o-penings allowing fluid to pass from one side of the iston to the other with out creating any bra ring action during the run-out'of the barrel, said piston having openings therein for the passage oflfluid during such run out, means for closing the openings in the piston during the recoil of the barrel, means for closing the passage through the first. mentioned openings during the recoil of the gun, and restricted passages between the cylinder and the pist-on.

4. A differential recoil gun having, in combination with a recoiling barrel, braking means comprising a fluid-containing cylinder having double Walls forming an intermediate space, and also having openings from said space into the cylinder at the ends thereof` said cylinder having channels in its inner wall, a vpiston within said cylinder, said piston and cylinder having a relative movement, said openings allowing fluid to pass from one side of the piston to the other without creating any braking action during the run-out of the barrel, and means for auv tomatically cutting' ofi" thefreef communica--y tion-through said yopenings during the rre-` combination with a recoiling bauch-braking" means'comprisir'igaA {luid-containing cylinder having double walls forming lanmtermediate"` space, land also having openingsfrom said s ace into the cylinder at the ends thereof, said cylinder havingchannels inits inner'wall, a piston within. said cylinder, said piston and cylinder having a relative movement, said `piston having openings therein,l for the passage of fluid during the run-out of the barrel, means for closing the openings in the piston during the recoil, and means for closing the passage through the first mentioned openings during the recoil movement.

6. A differential recoil gun having, in combination with a recoiling barrel, braking means comprising a fluid-containing cylinder having double walls forming an intermediate space, and also having openings from said space into the cylinder at the ends thereof, and a piston within said cylinder, said piston and cylinder having a relative inovement, said piston also having openings for the passage of fluid during the run-out of the barrel, the openings into the cylinder having at least the same cross-section as the effective end surface of the piston.

I7. A dierential recoil gun having, in combination with a recoiling barrel, braking means comprisingv a fluid-containing cylinder having double walls forming an intermediate tubular space and opemngs at its ends into said cylinder, a piston within said cylinder between which and the latter there is a relative movement, fluid being designed to pass from one end of the cylinder to the lother through said tubular space, the crosssection of such tubular space being at least as great as the effective end surface of the piston.

8. A differential recoil gun having, in combination with a recoiling barrel, braking mechanism comprising a fluid containing cylinder which is designed to be full of fluid when the barrel is in firing position, a piston within said cylinder having a rod projecting beyond the end of said cylinder, said piston and cylinder having a relative movement, coperating means for braking the run-out of the barrel beyond the firing position in the event of a misfire, said cylinder also having a separate chamber in communication therewith, and yielding means within said separate chamber designed tofbe automatically actuated to allow the fluid to pass into said separate chamber in case of a misre or expansion ofthe fluid.

9. A differential recoil gun having, in combination with a recoiling barrel, braking mechanism comprising a fluid containing l cylinder nwhich is ldesigned to be full of fluid when the barrel is in firing position, a piston within said cylinder having a rod projecting beyond the end of said cylinder, said piston andrcylnder having a relative movement, coperating means for braking the run-out of the barrel beyond the firing position in the event of a misfre, said cylinder also having a separate chamber in communication therewith, and a spring held piston within said separate chamber designed to be automatically actuated to allow the fluid to pass into said separate chamber in case of a misflre or expansion of the fluid.

, 'In testimony whereof, I have signed this 15 specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL MULLER."- [L.s.]

zVVit-nesses:

HELEN NUFER, ALBERT NUFER. .i

Coplas of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

